Peter Langmead

Film Director, Writer, Composer, Social Documentary Photographer

Damyna the Musical

WORLD PREMIERE

FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DU FILM PANAFRICAIN DE CANNES

April 8, 2017, 8:15pm at the Gala Dinner

Synopsis

A tranquil African village is thrown into turmoil when Damyna, a poor abandoned girl, becomes torn between her love for the boy she grew up with and the handsome, suave stranger who strides into her life. Damyna is brought up by a kindly ‘aunt’ who has paid off her father’s moneylender to secure the girl’s freedom.
She grows into a young woman knowing that the aunt’s son, Por Phiri, is not her brother, contrary to his believe that they are siblings.
Trouble arrives when two dynamic consultants, Kati Pault and Given Chansa, arrive from the city on a mission to 'improve' the villagers’ farming skills.

An interfering witch doctor ensures that Por falls in love with Kati and Given falls in love with Damyna, and the two villagers find themselves living the highlife in a cafe in town. But before matters get further out of hand, the witch doctor realises his mistake and attempts to reverse his spell, only to be faced with opposition from Damyna's adopted mother's husband, a lookalike who claims to be father of both Damyna and Por. But Damyna's adoptive mother recognises their love and reveals her husband is not the father of her son, freeing Damyna and Por to marry while preserving her original secret of their uncommon heritage.

The wedding scene reveals an unexpected guest: Damyna's high-ranking wayward real father – bearing a striking resemblance to the witch doctor who caused the mayhem in the first place.

Award-Winning

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Actress, singer and musician Josephine Kachiza has won the Best Female Performance Award at the Festival International du Film PanAfricain in Cannes for her lead role as Damyna in Damyna The Musical.

The first African musical film to be produced in Zambia debuted at the festival in the iconic French film hub on April 8, 2017, having been selected from more than 50 films from over 30 countries as the film to be screened at the week-long event’s gala dinner on Saturday evening during the 14th Edition of the festival, which pays tribute to African-American Independent Cinema.

With the theme "USA: Yesterday - Today & Tomorrow", the festival gave film-lovers a wide choice of films from Africa, its diaspora and the rest of the world.

“The quality of the films winning the Dikalo Awards reflects the excellent work done by the different professionals who have made up the jury and has helped to make our festival a point of reference within its domain. All the films which have gained awards at the festival have gone to have international recognition,” said the festival organisers.

Ms Kachiza (24) from Chelstone, Lusaka, is a civilian musician with the Zambian Army but remained humble at news of the Dikalo award and explained that the film was a team effort.